Allen Lanier – R.I.P.

Scompare a 67 anni il tastierista/chitarrista/fondatore dei seminali, leggendari Blue Öyster Cult. Allen Lanier e’ morto dopo una lunga malattia polmonare. Sul sito ufficiale viene così annunciato: “succumbed to complications from C.O.P.D.”. Il compagno di una vita Eric Bloom ricorda lo sfortunato musicista: “I’ll miss the guy even though we hadn’t spoken in awhile. He was so talented as a musician and a thinker. He read voraciously, all kinds of things, especially comparative religion. We drove for years together, shared rooms in the early days. We partied, laughed, played. All BOC fans and band members will mourn his death. Ultimately smoking finally got to him. He had been hospitalized with C.O.P.D. It was Allen who heard some old college band tapes of mine and suggested I get a shot as the singer in 1968. A lot of great memories, over 40 years worth. Maybe he’s playing a tune with Jim Carroll right now”. Oltre ai BOC, che lascia nel 1985 e ritrova nel 1987 per continuare fino al 2006 (anno del ritiro dalle scene live), Lanier aveva collaborato anche con Patti Smith, The Dictators, The Clash e Jim Carroll. A suo modo un autentico pioniere.